FORT MORGAN — — The Fort Morgan Lady Mustangs knew that it was going to be a tough one. With a top 10 4A team coming to town in the Elizabeth Cardinals, the Lady Mustangs had one goal, to attack the Cardinals and not play tentatively.

The Lady Mustangs fell to the Lady Cardinals 68-33.

"Going in we talked about making sure we just attacked them. At times the first time we played them we were a little scared, maybe, to go at them," said Fort Morgan coach Jim Kreikemeier. "It didn't always pay off. But we did consistently get after that and we had a little more success scoring."

Fort Morgan lost to Elizabeth 82-33 the first time this season the two played.

Lindsey Nestor scored six point in the first half in loss to Elizabeth. (Jonathan Seib / Fort Morgan Times)

"They are a good team. That big middle (Tatum Neubert) is a good player. She gets tips on a lot of balls and shots," said Kreikemeier.

The Lady Mustangs started the game out well, and were within a point until the final two minutes of the first quarter. Even then, the Lady Mustangs were down just 15-9 headed into the second quarter.

In the early minutes of the second, after a pair of buckets by Lauren Staley, the Lady Mustangs were within four points. But after that, the Lady Cardinals ran away with it. The Cardinals scored 16 unanswered points to take a 20-point lead. Staley would score twice more in the final minutes of the first half, but the Cardinals would end up 21 points up, 38-17.

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"They had a few run offs. We got in some bad situations where we were halfway through a play and turned it over. And didn't have a back guard and (Neubert) can run the floor and ran away from us a few times," said Kreikemeier.

Tatum Neubert would score 22 points in the first half. She would finish the game with 28.

Neubert would get knocked out of the game in the third quarter after committing a charge and limping off the court. But in her absence Sabra Ross would pick right up where she left off. Ross ended the game with 24 points.

The Cardinals would put up 16 in the third quarter while the Mustangs scored 10. In the final quarter, The Mustangs scored just six while giving up 12.

Staley would finish the game with 17 points and six rebounds. Lindsey Nestor scored six points with three assists and a pair of rebounds. Christina Frick, Kinsey Windsheimer, Amy Anderson, Aurora Baca and Serena Wells each had two points. Frick had six rebounds. Sam Scoot had four assists and Nestor had three.

Turnovers made the difference with 30 from the Mustangs and only 12 coming from the Cardinals.

Fort Morgan is 4-14 on the season and 3-4 in the Colorado 7 league. Elizabeth is 16-2 and 7-0, alone in first place in the league.

"We can learn from this game. And how we play in the next four games determines if we get to keep playing after that," finished Kreikemeier.

Fort Morgan plays Fort Lupton at home on Tuesday. Elizabeth heads to Weld Central the same day.